I Found The Love That I Knew I Would Miss
by RealRareInspiration
Summary: ONE-SHOT: A tragic twist on the events that happen in The Last Dance. To kill Klaus, Elena paid a heavy price, one that Damon decided for her, one that she regrets never making. Damon's actions invoke a deathly realisation in Elena. But is it too late?


**"I found the love that I knew I would miss" - I Realise Your Worth **

**ONE-SHOT: A tragic twist on the events that happen in The Last Dance. To kill Klaus Elena paid a heavy price, one that Damon decided for her, one that she regrets never making. Damon's plans in order to save Elena, shatter her instead as she comes to realise the truth about what she feels for him – Is there an option in death too?**

_**A/N**: In plain honesty, I began writing this as a result of getting my head round how much of a disappointment, The Last Dance was. So, this is my re-write of the last 25 minutes – how I would have liked it to end if this episode was the season finale leading to season 3. This explains a lot about how I would want Elena to react to Damon feelings for her and also how she would come to terms with her own._

_Hope you enjoy **Part 1: Unfortunate Trigger** – this bit is about setting the scene, the second part will be MUCH MORE Damon and Elena._

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><p><em><strong>Part 1: Unfortunate Trigger<strong>_

"Klaus will not win tonight" Damon's voice echoed down the empty school corridor, Bonnie could sense every ounce of determination in his words.  
>"Are you still willing to do all it takes to kill Klaus?" he continued, it was less a question, more a statement. Bonnie nodded back, attempting to mirror his determination. It was Elena on the line and Bonnie, just like all other observers that when it was Elena on the line, nothing else, no one else, not even himself mattered to Damon Salvatore.<p>

"Bonnie" Jeremy's flustered voice cut the silence as he joined them, his eyes met Bennie's rich brown ones and within seconds his hands had clasped her cheeks "Are you ok? Where is Klaus... I mean Alaric?" Before Bonnie could gather a response, Damon's determined voice took the silence.  
>"This is what we are going to do, listen to me carefully". Damon narrated the plan in minutes whilst Jeremy and Bonnie listened with continued agitation. His voice was distant but unnervingly had become even more determined. After he finished, Jeremy stared into the blank distance, trying to accept the bare facts of the scenario and what was about to come whilst Bonnie's eyes remained on Damon.<p>

"Aaare you sure, you ccaan/want to do this? Th..there is a huge risk" she barley whispered the words but her eyes were met with icy blue ones. "This time it will be worth it, for Elena."

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><p><em><strong>Deranged Negotiations<strong>_

Dust smoked the air as Damon pushed the worn out wooden door of the Salvatore basement. Weak light flooded the dark room and fell lightly upon on the mummified body of Elijah. Damon rolled his head to one side as he took another moment to consider what he had just done and what he was about to do. With the little time available to him, in effortless writing he had scribbled a little note in his brother's diary and now within seconds he was about to seal their fates forever, his fate but most importantly Elena's fate.

He walked towards the still-life and knelt down next to it – "Well, you look peachy..." he muttered, he would never lose his humour. He sighed, "Mr so-called Smith, time for you to negotiate with me." Elijah had given Elena his word that he would not harm anyone she loves, even if they've harmed him, so Damon knew, that he would remain alive, for now.

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><p><em><strong>Incomplete Farewells<strong>_

An anxious Elena enclosed Bonnie into a hug. Breathless with watery eyes, she sighed "Bonnie, you're ok, we need to leave." Stefan who stood behind them, instantly nodded, "I've got the car, we'll go somewhere Alaric or Klaus doesn't know of, we'll go to the Gilbert Lake House, let's just leave".

Jeremy watching on and silently shook his head and looked down as Bonnie gently freed herself from Elena's fixed grip. "This is what I have to do Elena, I told you." Elena immediately began vividly shaking her head in disagreement, her watery eyes releasing painful tears. Bonnie sniffed as she once again wrapped her hands around Elena. "Elena you would do it for me" and with that she instantly let go as Jeremy began leading her away. Elena's cries became more painful, "Stop her Stefan...please" as she collapsed into his arms. Bonnie and Jeremy walked further into the dark corridor when Bonnie turned around. "Elena..." she half shouted, he voice echoing, "Please know that... that I tried to stop him. Tried to stop him, for you."

She turned to look back at Jeremy, who silently kissed her on the forehead and gave her his ring. Within seconds however Stefan was running full speed towards them with Elena following, "I'll deal with Elena and Stefan" Jeremy stated. He blocked Elena as Bonnie vanished behind the cafeteria's double doors with Stefan at her heels. He began applying all his strength to the doors but couldn't break through.

"Damn it, where is Damon." He banged the doors frustrated, attempting to find a weak spot.  
>"At your service. Whaat? Can you, not accomplish anything without me" Damon had returned from his little to detour to the newly acquired Gilbert house.<p>

Stefan looked back at his brother confused. "She's in there. We're getting her out" Damon sighed and shook his head. "Relax, let the witch do what she has to do, it's time for the climax"

"You knew, didn't you! " Elena's question froze Damon as he turned around to meet those marble brown eyes. A part of him ached seeing her disarrayed state, her hair dishevelled, her eyes covered in water, grief defining her features.  
>"You knew that if she harnessed all that power she would die. Didn't you!" Damon remained silent, considering the gravity of the situation, somewhere, some part of him had become paralysed. He looked down briefly and then replied with the simplest response, "Yes. Yes I knew". Elena didn't think, she didn't want to think and unleashed her anger, striking his face with her hand. When it came to Damon, she was always so careful with her words, with her expressions, with her feelings, never thinking too much, avoiding, denying or as Damon once said ... lying to herself. But in that moment, he cracked her composure.<p>

Damon stepped back as his eyes remained fixed on her, the other part of him was slowly being encapsulated into paralysis too. He could only formulate one reply, the only words he could let her hear, "If it comes down to you and the witch. _I will always choose you._"

At that point a loud clattering noise surrounded them; Jeremy's eyes searched the empty cafeteria, as he looked in through the glass windows of the double doors.  
>"He's here, where are you Bonnie?" He pleaded. All three: Stefan, Jeremy and Elena plastered themselves to the windows of the double doors, watching in anticipation, Elena continuing to apply force, trying to break through, sobbing.<p>

Damon's attention however was only on her, his eyes remained on her as he silently slipped away.

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><p><strong><em>I never mattered and I never will<em>**

"You can do this the easy way or the hard way." Klaus declared as he approached Bonnie in the form of Alaric. Her stance was defiant and strong, she could feel them, and she was in power but even more then that, she was trying to match that determination Damon had.

Klaus yelled in pain as she twisted his fingers, the cry of pain turning into weak laughter as he noticed a ring appear on his finger (Katherine had informed him). "Interesting. Trying to protect the favourite History teacher, I see."

Bonnie shook her head, "No, but Alaric would want you to suffer. Suffer multiple deaths" and with that she unleashed another blow. The cafeteria began to unhinge under her power, the walls shaking, her electrical energy creating a storm. Stefan and Elena continued to fight the lost battle against the double doors as they watched Bonnie become weaker in dismay. Jeremy however remained complacent.

It was a never ending replay of Klaus regaining stability and strength after Bonnie would unleash her anger, the only difference being, that Bonnie was getting weaker. Blood began trickling down her face, as Klaus' victory laugh became more certain. He began taunting her "We can do this for another decade, if you want". Her head began spinning as she turned back to look through the window to find Stefan, Elena and Jeremy. Elena was clawing the window, grief had truly defined her face.

"Bonnie! No! Bonnie!" Elena's cries became more striking every second she watched Bonnie fight back. She was falling out of place; she could feel the fear slowly captivating her body, the numbness. She was too familiar with this feeling of losing a person who mattered a lot to her.

The worn out tables and chairs of the cafeteria began busting to pieces as Klaus screeched in pain as Bonnie applied more force. He started walking towards her, blade ready, with all the force trying to push him backwards. However Bonnie was losing control, part by part, vein by vein, inch by inch, she started shutting down, a sickening headache suffocating her. Klaus regained speed, the direction of his blade marking her.

In the distance, a deathly scream penetrated through, Elena's fists began banging the double doors in more anger as Stefan began hurling objects at them. Elena could see it, the end approaching, Klaus had already gained on a staggering Bonnie, "No, please, please, please no. No. This can't happ..." her words were lost when amidst the storm, the flickering lights, the flying debris, she saw a figure that every inch of her body recognised.

Damon.

Damon appeared behind Klaus, attempted to grab hold of his neck from behind but within seconds, Damon found himself nailed to the wall instead, with Klaus's appallingly strong grip suffocating him. Klaus smirked as Damon choked, "Not the best of introductions, but I am an Original, never forget that". Klaus's strength multiplied as he began crushing Damon's neck – "

Jeremy reignited the moment he saw the new entrant. "It's Damon, he's here, he's here..." relief pouring through his body.  
>"What!" Stefan instantly stiffened whilst Elena had remained frozen, her eyes fixated on him, she couldn't let herself blink. His words echoed in her mind <em>"I would choose you."<em>

Choking, Damon tried to push back but he was weakening under Klaus's stiff hold. "Well, it's not the best of goodbyes too" suddenly Bonnie's defiant voice penetrated Klaus's concentration and in an impulse reaction he turned on her, pinning her to a pillar, "Well, this is good bye then witc..." when a sharp pain seared through the left side of his chest. He stiffened as his hold on Bonnie released, he looked down, and there it was the deathly dagger covered in white oak ash, stabbed straight through his heart. He looked backwards and saw the other vampire, Damon, marked for death too.

Damon's hands flayed away from the white oak ash dagger that was now part of Klaus's body, he staggered backwards, death claiming him too, he watched the weakened form of the Original thump on to the ground. He was soon to join, heading downwards to the floor, he lifted his head up with little strength to get one glimpse to those who mattered most...

Stefan, Elena and Jeremy burst through the doors, and for the final time, he saw her blank expression, memorised it and then surrendered to the darkness.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Please review and tell me your opinions, would love to read. Part 2: Fortunate Resolution, stay hooked to see:_

_ - Elena's reaction_  
><em> - Is Damon gone forever?<em>  
><em> - What's Elijah's part in the story?<em>

**_Please review and thank you – find me on twitter too, I'm RealMeansDelena :)_**


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